A BIM Junkies Guide to Getting Over an Addiction to Lines..."Toward a Zen of BIM"

Monday, June 23, 2008

DIMENSION OVERRIDES IN THE STORM

Do you want to use a Text Override in Revit? Great just don't be too clever because you can really fuck your world up.

Below is the dialog that pops up when you click the Numerical Value of a dimension in Revit, since the release of 2009. Good so far... I like the new additions to just Prefix & Suffix... The whole Above & Below fields are quite useful.

What isn't altogether wonderful is the "Replace with Text" value. I say altogether because we can get this to be horribly incorrect, even though it's a good tool when used correctly. If objects report an odd dimension then just move the objects; please don't use fake dimensions and really only use the Text Override for text ONLY.

I know that you may be thinking I am off base here but remember the fact that we weren't able to fake a dimension meant we had to actually do our job correctly(er)... what was so wrong with showing the supposed number with V.I.F. after it, etc.... I know there are uses for replacing the actual # with text only but we can always find a way to subvert that system and get our documentation to be, well, just plain wrong; And don't our contracts say that the printed documents take precedence?!!! If so this new functionality is one to steer clear of, lest we add a new item to the list of possible litigation we are exposed to.

If they would have asked me I would just have had this value be visually toggled or it would simply not allow any numbers in it... Why? Look at the 2 dimensions in the next image and tell me what the top dimension says... (Note: The bottom dimension is the true dimensional value)

Yeah, by using that accent grave ( ` ) symbol I made Revit's previous incomparable correctness fall apart. All would be good if Revit would have actually not allowed the number to be fucked with, like the following dialog states...

The fact that while one can't use the "foot" and "inch" symbols ( ' and ") together; one could use the accent grave ( ` ) symbol, etc; then Revit sees the whole string as text and bottom line DOES for all intents and purposes allow the reverse of what the previous image says.

Remember, If you want to keep your job then just move the objects if a dimension is reporting an odd value; please don't use fake dimensions and only use the Text Override for "Text".

2 comments:

One of the reasons i like Revit is the fact that you could not "force" the dimension text so it had to be correct. However in our office our engineers also like to call out spacing of the floor/roof joists or trusses as (10 spaces @ 4'-0" o.c. = 40'-0"). So what i would do is create a text and just set it over the actual dimension and it would be in the background being masked out by the text. Im relativly new to Revit, so there probably is an easier way, but when there is an engineer breathing down my neck, I do what i know, and not explore and search "the book" half day for answers. And sometimes when we do additions/remodels, our dims of the existing building need to have a plus/minus symbol, V.I.F., or other verbage with the existing dimension. So yes i like the fact that revit forces you to do things correct, i also like that they put in the ability to add prefix/above/below and replace with text.

One of the reasons i like Revit is the fact that you could not "force" the dimension text so it had to be correct. However in our office our engineers also like to call out spacing of the floor/roof joists or trusses as (10 spaces @ 4'-0" o.c. = 40'-0"). So what i would do is create a text and just set it over the actual dimension and it would be in the background being masked out by the text. Im relativly new to Revit, so there probably is an easier way, but when there is an engineer breathing down my neck, I do what i know, and not explore and search "the book" half day for answers. And sometimes when we do additions/remodels, our dims of the existing building need to have a plus/minus symbol, V.I.F., or other verbage with the existing dimension. So yes i like the fact that revit forces you to do things correct, i also like that they put in the ability to add prefix/above/below and replace with text.